Page 280 - of-human-bondage-

Mrs. Carey did not answer, but she went upstairs, put
on her little black bonnet, and went to the bank. In an hour
she came back. She went to Philip, who was reading in the
drawing-room, and handed him an envelope.
‘What’s this?’ he asked.
‘It’s a little present for you,’ she answered, smiling shyly.
He opened it and found eleven five-pound notes and a
little paper sack bulging with sovereigns.
‘I couldn’t bear to let you sell your father’s jewellery. It’s
the money I had in the bank. It comes to very nearly a hun-
dred pounds.’
Philip blushed, and, he knew not why, tears suddenly
filled his eyes.
‘Oh, my dear, I can’t take it,’ he said. ‘It’s most awfully
good of you, but I couldn’t bear to take it.’
When Mrs. Carey was married she had three hundred
pounds, and this money, carefully watched, had been used
by her to meet any unforeseen expense, any urgent charity,
or to buy Christmas and birthday presents for her husband
and for Philip. In the course of years it had diminished sad-
ly, but it was still with the Vicar a subject for jesting. He
talked of his wife as a rich woman and he constantly spoke
of the ‘nest egg.’
‘Oh, please take it, Philip. I’m so sorry I’ve been extrava-
gant, and there’s only that left. But it’ll make me so happy if
you’ll accept it.’
‘But you’ll want it,’ said Philip.
‘No, I don’t think I shall. I was keeping it in case your
uncle died before me. I thought it would be useful to have a